London’s first eco-friendly, human-powered gym is opening

Post-plastic gyms, people-powered treadmills and kit that’s stylish and sustainable — the capital’s workout scene’s gone green, says Katie Strick 
Terra Hale, eco gym
Daniel Hambury/@stellapicsltd

At Terra Hale’s new fitness studio in Shepherd’s Bush, spinning classes aren’t measured in calories. Nor does it matter how many miles you cover in an hour. For founder Michal Homola and his instructors, the only figure you’re told to focus on when you’re pushing the pedals is the number of watts.

The word may conjure images of light bulbs but this is exactly the point: you, the rider, are powering the lights – and the scoreboard, and the music blaring from the speakers overhead. This is London’s first eco-friendly, human-powered gym and when it officially opens next month, it’ll be the first studio in the capital to harness members’ energy to power its facilities. And its neighbours’ facilities, too, if you sweat hard enough: any excess energy will go straight back into the Grid.

It’s good timing: eco-friendly fitness is hot right now with stylish eco activewear leading the charge. H&M’s interpretation launched online in January and is predominantly made using recycled polyester and elastane – and gym products are going green, from yoga mats to water bottles. Equinox gym and celebrities including Julia Roberts and Oprah Winfrey use S’well, a range of reusable bottles that are non-toxic and BPA-free. Many gyms, too, are making moves towards being more sustainable: lots have banished plastic and BioFit recently held a pop-up gym in Notting Hill made from natural materials — but Terra Hale takes a holistic approach. Its contribution isn’t just material, it gives back.

Terra Hale, eco gym
Daniel Hambury/@stellapicsltd

The name, Terra Hale, means “strong earth”, a nod towards Homola’s passion for Mother Nature. The former professional snowboarder grew up in the mountains of Slovakia, so found the transition to busy, built-up London “hard”. The concept of taking fitness to new Earth-friendly heights was a combination of his two passions and a “natural extension” of his and his peers’ approach to life and wellbeing.

His ethos for protecting the planet feeds into every detail: everything at the no-contract, pay-as-you-go studio is made from recycled materials, from the yoga mats to the door handles to the giant gymnastic monkey rig on the recycled rubber studio floor. Even the clocks are vintage, reclaimed from 1920s railway stations in Homola’s native Slovakia.

The walls inside the repurposed railway arch are made from reclaimed wood and covered with plants chosen for their air-filtering qualities, says Homola. “Ivy especially takes away a lot of the carbon dioxide inside, so it gives you oxygen as you exercise as well as taking all the bad stuff out.”

Personal trainer Lucy de Roeper pictured at Terra Hale, eco gym (Daniel Hambury/@stellapicsltd )
Daniel Hambury/@stellapicsltd

He confiscates my water bottle on entry and hands me a sleek stainless steel container with a Terra Hale logo and a smooth wooden lid. I begin with an eco-spinning class on the balcony area upstairs. Just like other classes in London, it’s competitive: the bikes are all rigged up to a screen at the front and there’s a leaderboard showing everyone’s scores. It works like a normal spin class – warm ups, hills, sprints – but the commands are distinctly unfamiliar. “Riders, take it up to 120 watts,” says our instructor Louenna Edwards as we pick up the pace.

It’s naturally competitive (there’ll be a prize each month for the biggest energy generator), but there’s an added group element, knowing you’re all working towards a collective goal. Each class generates between 1,500 and 3,300 watts (enough to power your desktop computer for your entire working day). You’ll see this on the screen: at the end of the class I’m told we’ve powered an electric fan for 22 hours, electric bulbs for 44 hours and cut 167g of CO2 emissions. And that’s on top of all the calories, so it’s double the reward.

Next I try Crew Culture, an indoor rowing session with instructor and ex-Oxford Boat Race champion Ben McSweeney. This too has an eco-friendly element: the class uses water rowing machines, which are made from sustainably sourced wood (they come from a carbon-neutral factory in the US), powered by your body weight, and use water as the resistance. They feel much smoother and more natural than the metal Concept 2 machines I’m familiar with from regular gyms, and quieter too. Plus they’re more attractive when stored away against the walls.

All classes are capped to a maximum of six, so there’s an intimate, team feel, and there’ll also be boxing, free weights, functional training and PT sessions on the gym floor. Homola tells me he’s developing an outdoor area for yoga classes, meditation and gong baths in the summer, and hopes to get human-powered treadmills in the future, which would generate extra energy.

Terra Hale’s flagship studio is in Shepherd’s Bush Market, but there’s a smaller sister gym in Fulham and a third, in Notting Hill, opens later this Spring. Homola hopes other gyms will follow Terra Hale’s lead. “I like the idea of staying strong together, one human at a time saving the planet. Mother Nature deserves the very best from each of us.” Maybe one day all fitness will be measured in watts.

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